


planet323.mp3

by sangiebyheart



Series: song beyond thought [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Late Night Conversations, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:28:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23705377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sangiebyheart/pseuds/sangiebyheart
Summary: And Yunho would manage to be home before midnight, too, if it was not for the small, neon green sticky note attached to his bag, which reads, “meet me at my studio when you’re done, bring snacks ^3^”, signed with the most extravagant swirl possible – one Yunho knows rather intimately as Song Mingi’s well-practiced signature.Or, in which Mingi seeks advice on a song for his crush, and Yunho suffers greatly because of it.
Relationships: Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi
Series: song beyond thought [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1806685
Comments: 48
Kudos: 231





	planet323.mp3

**Author's Note:**

> credit to our lyrical sweetheart, [song mingi](https://twitter.com/woojinblooms/status/1250126625347448834), for inspiring this fic! his words about this person he loves are in this fic, though i took it a bit further. i did not come up with them myself, however, please know this. i do not attempt to steal those words from him, but they did give me an idea i wanted to execute.
> 
> obviously, i do not believe yungi is real. i merely enjoy their dynamic a lot and have been meaning to try writing about them for a while - that clip from mingi's vlog was merely the final straw.
> 
> i hope you guys enjoy!!

Of all the twists and turns a night is able to take, Yunho would not have expected his own to end with such unprecedented excitement.

It is late – too late, if you ask Seonghwa or Jongho, who have retired to their home hours ago, adamant on proper rest and a healthy intake of nourishment, though not late enough for their ceaselessly working leader, who is probably still holed up inside his studio, eager not to be disturbed in the midst of his creative process. Yunho has learned fast that Hongjoong is not to be stretched too thin through unnecessary interference, and anyhow, it is Seonghwa’s job as Hongjoong’s designated co-parent to drag him away from his computer when the late night transitions into the early morning hours, and summer’s bright orange and soft pink alerts them of a new dawn ripe with even more opportunities to overwork yourself.

Yunho’s own work ethic, albeit considerably substantial more often than not, is not quite so demanding of him tonight. He believes he deserves a pat on the shoulder, having gone through their new choreography enough times to make his muscles remember it in the morning, and thus deems himself ready to turn in and go back to their dorm to catch some sleep.

And he would manage to be home before midnight, too, if it was not for the small, neon green sticky note attached to his bag, which reads, “meet me at my studio when you’re done, bring snacks ^3^”, signed with the most extravagant swirl possible – one Yunho knows rather intimately as Song Mingi’s well-practiced signature.

Even if his bones were screaming with exhaustion – which they are, though Yunho can, very easily, ignore that – Yunho would never think twice about doing as he is asked and follow up on Mingi’s request. If it means that Yunho will have to take the elevator down to go to the vending machine that stocks Mingi’s favorite gummies, and back up again to sprint through the corridors to Mingi’s creative space, then so be it – after all, they do this at least twice a week, waiting up on each other after separate practices or leisurely activities, knowing just the right treat to reward the day’s hard work, so Yunho could not be happier doing it for anyone else but Mingi.

Mingi’s back is turned towards the entrance when Yunho arrives in the doorway, his headphones tugged over his ears and head bopping to a beat. In his hyper-focused state, Yunho knows best to allow an easily spooked Mingi the privilege of a warning, so he sends Mingi a quick text and waits for his friend to notice him on his own. Once Mingi does, the headphones practically fly off his head with how fast Mingi tears them off to turn around, intent not to strangle himself with the short cord in all his enthusiasm.

And even after all of those years by Mingi’s side, Yunho still finds it incredibly difficult to resist that dazzling smile of his, aloof and goofy, yet sincere every single time, and cannot help but smile back as intensely. Mingi invites him in with a shake of his hand and Yunho steps into the tiny room, tentatively and admittedly a little dazed, although he cannot explain why he is so uncertain of his steps all of a sudden. It is only Mingi – only Mingi who has been living in his mind rent-free for five years, and in a special place of his heart for the better part of four.

Eighteen months since their official debut, and Yunho is expecting to wake up from a dream anytime, that even the slightest disruption might burst that sweet little bubble which appears too good to be true. Yunho is no one to lend too much thought to doubt or insecurity, but he is certainly no stranger to either companion, so he has made it his top priority to ensure that – at least on his end – none of them would have to worry too much. For it would break his heart to lose what the eight of them have put so much blood, sweat and tears into.

Most of all, he would hate to see Mingi’s dreams shatter along with his own, would hate to lose their friendship and their precious connection and any chance he might have to become as close to Mingi as he can possibly get within the bounds of a platonic relationship – with the added topping of a mild, yet ever-growing crush on one of his dearest and best friends in the entire world.

Yunho sits down on the empty seat next to Mingi and hands him the gummies.

“Thank you!” Mingi calls out in his pure, childlike delight at the sweets Yunho has brought him, almost as if he did not ask for them in the first place and Yunho surprised him with them.

Yunho bites the inside of his cheeks, so his face cannot explode from how big his grin is threatening to become. “You’re welcome,” he manages to say. Mingi offers him one single gummy bear as a sign of gratitude, and Yunho’s mouth opens on its own accord as he unconsciously leans back – Mingi, as in tune with Yunho as he expects him to be, understands instantly, and throws the bear into the air for Yunho to try and catch it with his mouth.

The gummy’s soft texture may not leave a dent in Yunho’s nose, though it certainly wounds his pride just the tiniest bit to know that it did not reach its designated destination. Yunho’s clumsiness and the gummy bear’s fall from grace to the studio floor have Mingi laughing, however, so Yunho supposes it was worth making himself look like a fool.

“Did you need anything particular from me tonight? Or did you just want to see me waste your precious snacks again?” Yunho asks him then.

For some reason Yunho cannot quite place, the night feels loaded now that he has come to Mingi’s studio, and he feels weirdly nervous and on edge, so much so that his hands are sweatier than usual.

If Yunho did not know any better, he would categorize the look which passes like a shadow over Mingi’s face as the expression of a mischief maker caught red-handed, though it is gone so quickly, Yunho must have imagined it. Mingi’s answer shows no indication of it ever having been there, either, “Ah, no, no particular reason, just wanted to make sure we go back to the dorm together before it’s too late, is all.”

“Oh,” Yunho makes, and he hopes he is able to mask the swell of disappointment inside his ribcage. He swallows it down before it can reach the surface, and asks, “You ready to go then?”

“Sure, yeah,” Mingi confirms, scrambling for his headphones. “Let me just—finish up real quick.” Mingi’s attention is diverted to his laptop, audio file still open and cursor somewhere in the middle of the recording.

Yunho catches the name of the file before Mingi has a chance to close the program, and wonders aloud, “‘Planet323’? That’s an interesting name. What’s it you’re working on?”

And really, it is merely the spark of curiosity and the natural need to support his best friend that makes him ask in the first place, so the manner in which Mingi’s eyes widen and his clicks become more frantic as he shuts down his computer is more than confusing to him.

“Nothing!” Mingi shrieks at that, “It’s a secret.”

“Okay…?” Yunho says slowly, and suddenly, the silence that follows feels different than normal, feels tense and strange and uncertain, so Yunho fidgets in his seat and Mingi does the same. Yunho is lost, for lack of a better word, but he clears his throat to break them out of this dubious state of existence. “Sorry, I—I didn’t mean to—”

“No, you didn’t, it’s just—”

“What?” Yunho breathes out.

“It’s—okay, uh. Promise me you won’t laugh and I’ll tell you,” Mingi offers, but his words are hurried and low, so Yunho has a hard time understanding at first – his brain pieces together the shreds soon enough, though, and Yunho swears with unquestionable resolve, “I would never laugh at you, Mingi, you know that.”

He ponders over that for a moment, and adds with a quirk of his lip, “Unless of course, another one of your pranks on Wooyoung backfired. But then, you’d also kind of deserve it.”

Mingi gapes at him in astonishment, torpedo-firing another gummy bear at his best friend. Yunho holds up his hands in surrender and cries out, “I’m sorry, sorry. I was kidding!” and peaks through his fingers to search for that smile he hopes to have brought to Mingi’s lips. He supposes the slight curve around Mingi’s pout can be counted as a success, as his shoulders sink with relief and the tension bleeds out of them.

This project must be truly important to him, if he is scared to hear Yunho’s opinion despite the knowledge that Yunho would never dare judge Mingi for questionable creations – after all, Yunho had been there from the beginning, from the first tentative attempts and admittedly rough-sounding samples, and even once when Mingi practiced his rapping, and Yunho had been nothing short of encouraging throughout the worst and the best of times, aware of his inability to help him with the technical aspect of it. To this day, Mingi offers as much kindness to him in return, and they give and they take in a gentle routine that is unique to them.

“In all seriousness,” Yunho begins, because it is always best to voice your support as well, as the quiet can often be mistaken as indifference or disinterest, “I won’t laugh. It clearly means a lot to you, I’m beyond honored you’re willing to share it with me of all people.”

He does not intend for his reassurance to end up digging at himself, and only realizes just how bad it might sound to Mingi’s ears when his best friend is already asking, “What do you mean, ‘you of all people’?”

And Yunho, a little puzzled, responds, “Well, there is a reason I’m a performer and not a producer, isn’t there? If you wanted a professional view, I shouldn’t be the one you show it to, is all I’m saying.”

“This isn’t about that, though,” Mingi counters quietly, fingers fiddling amongst themselves. Yunho has to fold his hands in his lap just so he will not be tempted to do something foolish and take ahold of Mingi’s – solely for the purpose of ceasing the anxious movements, of course.

“What is it about?” Yunho urges, gazing at Mingi with peaked interest – and perhaps the tiniest bit of adoration, too.

Mingi meets his eyes, shy yet full of courage at the same time, and simply says, “It’s about feeling… feelings.”

“That’s great! It’s good to have an outlet.” Yunho smiles, and attempts to hide his further confusion – Mingi is an especially emotional person, open and honest about his state of mind, and rarely has Yunho seen him distressed over his emotions at all. “Are you worried the fans won’t like it?”

“No, they won’t know what it’s really about, anyway,” Mingi says, scratching his neck. “I’m—worried _you_ won’t like it.”

Yunho blinks at him like an owl, even tilting his head like the observant creature – as though a new perspective might help him see why Mingi would be so concerned about Yunho disliking one of his songs. Mingi does not usually need anyone’s approval on his work. Gentle criticism, input of someone with greater, more refined knowledge, is what he seeks, though never outright permission on what he can and cannot do.

“I’m sure I will!” Yunho tells him with a grin as sure as it is steady, ignoring how his heartbeat picks up as he imagines the possible implications of Mingi’s words. “Tell me about it.”

“Okay,” Mingi smiles back, showing a bit of his teeth. “Uh, where to start… I guess you should know that it’s about a person I really lo—like.”

 _Oh_.

“Oh,” Yunho sounds, surprised voice cracking on the single syllable. “I didn’t know you liked someone.”

Mingi gives a troubled laugh, “Yeah, it kind of snuck up on me too. Which is why I… had a bit of hard time trying to sort out my feelings at first. So, I started this little project to force myself to put them into words and…” Mingi turns his head away, a soft smile on his face, “It sort of escalated. I didn’t mean to make it into a full song.”

For all that Mingi is no more than a bundle of nerves with a loose end at the moment, Yunho gets the impression that Mingi is proud of his creation, timid as he is to show it. And that is Mingi for you, really, when it comes down to it. He is boisterous in his confidence, he is eager and keen on displaying his skill set to the world, to their fans, to their group, but in the quiet moments, in the stages before the stages, Mingi will know to be humble – his excitement subdued, tangible as it is, only revealed to few, select individuals.

Or, in this case, Yunho.

“So… are you going to confess to them with the song once it’s finished?” Yunho asks, and he truly, honestly, attempts to be as casual about it as he can be, but he adds, “Or something,” and instantly winces when his ears register just how plastic it comes across. If Mingi winds up with a significant other soon, Yunho will have to practice his friendly demeanor and learn to suppress the insisting presence of heartache – after all, as Mingi’s best friend and number one confidant, he must be supportive of his choice of partner and not walk around all day brooding because his crush does not reciprocate his feelings.

Thankfully, Mingi does not seem to take notice of Yunho’s odd behavioral changes, however, and replies, “I don’t know,” and turns to Yunho with raised eyebrows, “Do you think I should?”

 _No_ , Yunho decides, _you should not confess to anyone at all._

But Yunho does not have a single mean bone in his body, and he cannot allow himself to be more selfish than he already is by having these thoughts in the first place. All he wants for Mingi, is to be happy at his core, peace of mind and weightless heart, and therefore, Yunho delivers the brightest grin he can muster up, and says with unmatched vigor, “Of course. What’s more romantic than a song dedicated to the person you like?”

“But… isn’t it also bit weird?”

“Why would it be? Didn’t you say that your feelings for them snuck up on you? Sounds to me like you’ve known them for long enough that they should be aware that you don’t mean any harm,” Yunho shrugs.

Mingi hums, seemingly in thought and serious consideration. “Well, it’s cheesy as hell, I’m not entirely sure they’d like that.”

Perhaps this is why Mingi’s so apprehensive about sharing his song with Yunho – because Mingi needs his best friend’s advice, afraid he is going to embarrass himself in front of his crush otherwise.

Yes, that must be it. Why else would he be throwing hypotheticals at Yunho?

“I don’t have the last part down, either,” Mingi mumbles. “Text-wise, I mean. And it’s the most important one. Can you help me?”

“Sure,” Yunho agrees with a slight frown. “But I’m no lyricist like you, and it should come from your heart, too. It’s your crush, isn’t it?”

“It does come from my heart,” voices Mingi’s avid assurance, going so far as to pat his chest where the source of his genius sits, beneath skin and bone and the warmth this big guy freely offers to anyone who will receive it. “But—I don’t wanna scare them off. So… I just need you to listen to my idea and tell me if it’s too much.”

More often than not, people who have met Mingi once and believe it their duty to make a quick judgment of him tend to think of Mingi as too much, and some are less respectful than others in their ways to communicate this to Mingi. Most of the time, Mingi does not care for a stranger’s commentary on his personality, but there is no denying that Mingi is human – maybe more so than most, with how big his heart is, and the ability to love and cherish rises to the occasion even at the smallest calls of arms.

Mingi is the sweetest person Yunho has ever known and could never be too much. He needs someone to love him for who he is, big personality and all, and he should not hide himself behind words which do not express the full extent of his feelings.

“Thank you,” Mingi says, gaping at Yunho like a fish. It takes Yunho a moment to realize what Mingi is grateful for, and he is very close to smacking himself on the head when he does.

Dear God, why did he have to say that out loud?

“Huh, yeah, I got your back, bro,” Yunho laughs helplessly, trying to salvage the unsalvageable until, once again, he cringes to the high heavens at his poor choice of words.

“ _Bro_?” Mingi breaks into chortles and Yunho almost swats at him – or he would, if he was not so busy hiding his rosy red cheeks behind his hands in shame.

“Shut up, I don’t know where that came from,” he mumbles in response, blindly reaching for the abandoned bag of gummy bears on the table, if only so his mouth has something better to do than to thoughtlessly run on its own accord. He refuses to meet Mingi’s eyes, in hopes of escaping the bright glint of amusement in them.

(Although, if he took a chance and _looked_ , perhaps, he might find an inkling of fondness there as well, but unfortunately, Yunho is a coward.)

“Please tell me about your idea now,” Yunho all but begs, hoping Mingi will grant him mercy and forget all about Yunho’s horrible attempts at asserting his solidified status as best friend.

“Sure, bro,” Mingi smirks and adds insult to injury with a cheeky wink. “Anything for you, bro.”

“Stop,” Yunho groans, “I’ll behave. Just. Come on.”

Mingi laughs some more, but Yunho figures he deserves it.

“Thank you, I think I needed a good laugh to calm down,” Mingi says, the devilish grin slowly morphing into a soft smile of gratitude. Suddenly, Yunho feels as though he would endure the suffering of playful ridicule when it ends with Mingi’s mood improving. “Okay… So. Basically. The person I love, they’re like a planet.”

The person he _loves_ ; Mingi’s feelings must run deeper than simple attraction then, if he is so confident to talk about love. Yunho can barely conceal a gasp of surprise beneath his fingertips.

“There are a lot of stars around, naturally, and I know that we left the geocentric model behind, like, centuries ago but… it’s like the stars shine just for them and I am one of those stars… One among many,” Mingi explains, and _oh_ , Yunho loves how Mingi’s brain works. “I want to shine the brightest for them. Not only that, though, I want to make sure they shine just as bright. I suppose the metaphor doesn’t work with that part, since planets aren’t exactly natural sources of light, but they deserve to be seen and heard and I want to give them the courage and the promise to help them accomplish that.”

That…

That is…

“That’s perfect,” Yunho breathes out in a whisper, completely and utterly in awe with Mingi’s genius, unable to speak in a greater volume even if he tried.

“I—You think so?” Mingi asks, joy taking hesitant steps to take over his entire body – shoulders having risen in anticipation, hands clutched together in front of his face, as curious eyes search Yunho’s expression for sincerity. It is all he finds, Yunho hopes, although it would not surprise Yunho should Mingi discover traces of sadness, too.

They had always been so attuned to one another, open books ready and willing to be read, heartfelt conversations held well into the night and early mornings filling in the blanks, few and far in-between as they were. Yunho is unsure just how much longer he would be able to hide his true feelings from Mingi, with Mingi’s gaze so observing and intense that rarely anything must escape his notice. Or perhaps, Mingi already knows of Yunho’s feelings, simply too polite to tell Yunho that he did not feel the same, that he valued him enough as his best friend though not a romantic partner.

But—Mingi would not torture him, if he did know. Mingi would not ask him to help him with a song for his _actual_ crush.

Mingi would not be cruel to him.

“I do think so,” Yunho smiles, honest, yet tired, “They’re a very lucky person to have you like them so much.”

“And… it’s really not too—”

“It’s not too anything, Mingi,” Yunho reiterates, foolishly reaching out to put a hand on Mingi’s arm. “It’s perfect because it’s you.”

“So you like it?” Mingi asks him, nearly on the edge of his seat and overflowing with passion. He would need but one drop to tip and fall. Yunho’s nod and the gentle curve of his neck must be just that, as Mingi leaps up from his seat to throw his arms around Yunho’s neck. The embrace is brief, though warm and kind of devastating to Yunho, who would love to cling to Mingi for longer than the bare second Mingi allows them.

He wonders if that is going to change – the easiness of physical intimacy and the comfort that comes with it – once Mingi will ultimately confess to his crush, ask them out on a date, enter a relationship with them. He wonders if Mingi will focus his attention on that person only, if they will become his top priority, his first thought in the morning, his last in the evening.

Yunho supposes that they already are, however; or else, Mingi would not have poured his heart and soul into a self-composed song.

“Seriously, Mingi,” he begins, and though his voice trembles through and through, perhaps he can still convince himself – and Mingi, should he inevitably ask – it is out of sheer happiness for his friend, and not further proof of his breaking heart. “They’d be a fool to reject you.”

“I hope he doesn’t,” Mingi sighs dreamily, and continues to stare at Yunho like he has a purpose, but also like he is not quite certain of what that purpose is just yet. Yunho swallows down the lump which has formed in his throat from holding back his true emotions, then looks away from Mingi because he cannot bear it anymore.

 _He_ , whoever he is, is going to be one lucky man. Yunho envies him.

But there is no use dwelling on those negative thoughts – Yunho will have to revisit them later, in bed when is by himself, and he will cry until he falls asleep but afterwards, he will be done with them. Life is about learning the hard lesson that not everything is going to work out in your favor, and accepting that you are not always capable of doing anything about it.

And this is Mingi, his best friend of five years and counting – Yunho will be damned if he lets his own stupid, unwanted feelings take a treasured friendship away, only because they grow out of their bounds and control him, instead of the other way around.

Yunho must not let them.

“Whatever he says, Mingi, you’ll always have me,” he promises, because if he is sure about anything, it is his loyalty to Mingi – whichever way Mingi will have him, Yunho is going to stick by his side until they are both old and grey, wrinkly and frail, and even as far beyond as Yunho is able. All he wants, truly, is Mingi’s light in his own life.

“To me,” Yunho adds with a wide grin, “you already are the brightest star.”

Under normal circumstances – when he is not exhausted from a day’s worth of dance practice, when he is not sat heartbroken in Mingi’s studio – Yunho believes he is a rather reasonable person, with a clear world view and realistic expectations of each and every relationship in his life.

So, as soon as the words pass his lips, he can imagine many different outcomes happening;

The first and most probable: Mingi will give him another hug, grateful to have a friend like Yunho to love and support him, even in a crisis of the heart. They will finish up in the studio at last, and make their way home without the topic coming up again for a while, at least until Mingi will return to him with the news of his new boyfriend.

The second, not quite so likely, though certainly the scariest: Mingi will catch the underlying meaning of Yunho’s confession, as clever of a boy as he is, and finally tell Yunho that he had better keep his feelings in check, since Mingi does not reciprocate them. Worse, even, he resents Yunho for having expressed them, and they will be silent on their walk home, as well as their walks of life, their relationship ruined all because Yunho was not careful enough.

The third.

Well, the third is entirely too absurd to even be entertained as a possibility, though Yunho often indulges himself: it starts with Mingi’s lips parting in a quiet gasp of astonishment, then a smile replacing it and all of a sudden, there is a sparkle in his eyes which shouts his happiness over the rooftops of the entirety of Seoul, without Mingi ever making a sound. It ends with those red, plush lips falling onto Yunho’s, aim just the slightest bit off but they are so soft that Yunho does not care anyhow. After all, Yunho is practiced enough to know just how he needs to correct the angle so it’s most enjoyable for the both of them and—

Wait.

Yunho cannot breathe.

Yunho cannot breathe because his breath got taken away by none other than Song Mingi kissing him with the fervor of a madman.

Song Mingi.

Kissing _him_ , Jeong Yunho.

What the hell is happening?

That question, really, appears to pop up in Mingi’s head at the same time as it does in Yunho’s and he pulls back, hand still clutching the nape of Yunho’s neck. Yunho did not even notice Mingi had put it there in the first place, nor that his own fingers had a loose grip on Mingi’s shirt.

Was it so intense of a kiss to warrant their chests heaving as they try and catch their breath, gazing at each other with open mouths and big eyes, confused and dazed and completely out of their minds?

Once again. What the hell is happening?

“Mingi…” Yunho murmurs, because suddenly, years of experience at speaking have taught him nothing, and he cannot seem to find the beginnings of a coherent thought – his brain is stringing together one single word, end on end on end, _Mingi, Mingi, Mingi_ , so he shall say no more than that.

An expression of grave horror crosses Mingi’s face, and he draws back even further so Yunho has no choice but to let go of him. His hand hovers in the empty space for another second, before Yunho lets it fall to his side again – he misses the sensation of Mingi’s rapid heartbeat beneath his fingertips, now that he knows it is gone and out of his reach.

“Oh, God, what have I done?” Mingi whispers, more to himself than Yunho. “Oh no. Oh no, no, no.”

Yunho watches him, frozen in place, lost for words as much as he scrambles for them. He cannot get himself to move, either.

“Yunho, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have done that,” Mingi swears, actual, deep-seated concern reflected in all of his pretty features. Yunho’s face falls at the apology, because—because he liked the kissing – he liked it a lot – and Mingi should not regret having the courage to do what Yunho was too much of a coward to.

“It’s fine,” Yunho manages to croak out, throat impossibly dry and uncomfortable, but Mingi does not seem to hear the low rumble of his voice over his own agitated rambling.

“Oh my God, what do I do, I can’t just kiss my best friend without permission! I’m so, so, so sorry, Yunho, I should’ve asked first, it’s only right – my mommy’s taught me to respect other people’s boundaries, I should know better than that—“

Yunho closes the small distance between them, gently takes Mingi’s face into his hands. It is funny how they are polar opposites, reacting to this, how Mingi talks and talks and talks but Yunho finds himself robbed of all verbal capabilities.

“It’s fine,” Yunho repeats, still not as firm as he wishes, though with Mingi’s words halted and their regained proximity, Mingi is able to listen. To soothe him further, Yunho presses their foreheads together, much in the same manner they would usually do to perform their signature twirl.

Both shudder through a breath as they stare at each other, uncertain how they should proceed from here. Yunho’s head is in shambles and he cannot think properly, and Mingi seems to think too much, so really – it does not come as a surprise to Yunho when they both break into laughter. At first, it is only Yunho who chuckles at the absurdity of this situation, but soon enough, Mingi joins him in his giggling and his hands come up to hold onto Yunho’s shoulders for stability.

They are a mess, standing in a mostly empty company building at near one in the morning, laughing until their bellies start hurting and their heads feel cloudy with a mixture of fatigue and amazement.

Mingi appears to fight his way through the fog first, and reaches Yunho on the other end with a burning question on the tip of his tongue, “Do you—do you want to listen? To my song?”

 _Of course_ , Yunho wants to reply in spite of his dumbfounded state, _but I thought it wasn’t finished, yet._

Back when they were teenagers, more mischief than they were human, people used to say that Yunho and Mingi must have a telepathic connection, conscious of each other’s thoughts word by word at all times, and an idea ahead of one another. As much as Yunho would have liked to believe that though, he has always been very adamant about the fact that they – their friendship aside – were separate individuals, with separate personalities and interests and achievements, and that their harmony stemmed from continuous communication, as unpleasant as it could be sometimes.

But perhaps, Mingi is a mind reader after all, because even though Yunho himself cannot say the words aloud, Mingi can still pick up on Yunho’s bewilderment.

“I’ve got a sample on my phone,” he explains. “There—there is still room to grow, and the version is not up-to-date, but you’d get the general vibe and—”

“But it’s for your crush,” Yunho reminds him in a meek tone, and then Mingi stops touching his forehead to give Yunho a helpless sort of look, almost as if to beg Yunho not to make him say it, for he has embarrassed himself enough tonight.

So, maybe a little belatedly, realization dawns on Yunho.

“Oh,” he says, a happier echo of the sole syllable, “ _I’m_ the crush.”

“Yeah,” Mingi confirms in a mumble, taking his hands off Yunho’s shoulder to wiggle his fingers as they frame his delicate face, quietly cheering, “Surprise?”

“I’ll say,” Yunho murmurs, rubbing a hand over his forehead.

So, all this time Yunho was attempting to conceal the fragile contents of his heart, while Mingi was asking for his help to create the best song for the person he—oh God, Mingi loved _him_.

Song Mingi.

Loves him.

Jeong Yunho.

“You are feeling feelings for me?!” Yunho all but yells then, now unnecessarily vocal with his incredulity. The eruption of his emotions causes Mingi to release a startled scream, loud enough that it might even wake Hongjoong in his own studio several rooms away. “Sorry,” Yunho adds, voice still raised to a comical volume, so he schools himself and repeats, “Sorry. I—Sorry, I’m just—you like me?”

“Can’t I just play my song for you?” Mingi asks with a pout, long-sufferingly.

“No!” Yunho finally gives him his answer, but he is smiling the biggest, brightest, widest smile he has ever smiled so Mingi will not misunderstand him. “You have to finish it first! So you can be proud of it when you show me!”

Mingi blinks at him for a moment, then nods as eager as a happy puppy waggling its tail. “Okay! I will! You won’t know what’s coming at you!”

“Great!” Yunho gives a joyful laugh, and promptly wraps his arms around Mingi’s waist to lift him as high into the air as he can manage, tired as he is. Quite literally swept off his feet, Mingi shrieks and attempts to secure himself with a hold on Yunho’s neck. “I can’t wait!”

As Mingi’s feet touch the ground again, neither of them makes any moves to change their position; if anything, they pull each other even closer. Their proximity grants Yunho the opportunity to marvel at Mingi’s features, giving them the attention they deserve – his beautiful, deep brown eyes, those full cheeks and his delicious lips that ask him, “So I take it you like me back?”

And Yunho cannot resist the urge to place a small kiss on that perfect nose of his, reveling in the way it makes Mingi’s entire face scrunch up in delight. “Yes, I do,” Yunho says, relief washing over him as he finally gets to admit it, no longer holding himself back – his muscles are already aching from how much he has been smiling, and yet, he cannot seem to stop. “I am so in love with you, Song Mingi, I could hardly bear the thought of you liking someone else!”

“I’m sorry—” Mingi starts his apology, but Yunho effectively cuts him off with another peck to the nose.

“No, don’t be, Mingi,” Yunho says, eyes glittering, “I’d rather you kiss me again, if you’ll allow me to be so direct.”

And Mingi does kiss him, mutters the sweet sound of, “Gladly,” against Yunho's lips, and it is so much better now that Yunho knows what is coming to him.

The night ends quiet, against all odds, exciting as it begun, though Yunho finds that no words are needed at the moment anyhow – for now, he will bask in the afterglow of love, freshly-awoken and saccharine sweetness, and the promise of more to come.

A week passes before Yunho, upon listening to ‘Planet323’ on repeat before he goes to bed, realizes the meaning behind the numbers in the title, and promptly groans into his pillow. For all that Mingi was rather obvious in hindsight, Yunho had remained entirely too oblivious to notice his own birthday in the title of a love song dedicated to _him_.

Mingi laughs at him when Yunho reports his findings to him in the morning, and kisses him senseless when Yunho pretends to be bothered by the friendly teasing.

**Author's Note:**

> for visualization on how they look at each other after the first kiss, see the following: 👁👄👁
> 
> if you liked this, please let me know with a sweet comment to feed your local writer! <3 i hope i did yungi nation proud, just a lil, and captured them well.
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/sangiebyheart) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/sangiebyheart)


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